Boy name
Peter
Peter holds the #187 spot on the 2025 list of the most popular boy names in the U.S. That amounts to 1,954 newborn boys in a single year. After peaking all the way back in 1880, Peter is staging a comeback — its rank has improved for at least three years in a row. Its strongest year on record was 1880 (#31 nationally, 496 newborns), in a data series reaching back to 1880. The name's biggest fan base is in District of Columbia (#43 there in 2025).
Rankings
2025 rank
#187
among boy names
Trend
Comeback
last 5 years
All-time peak
#31
in 1880 (1880s)
Babies in 2025
1,954
boys named Peter
Peter popularity, 1880–2025
Where Peter is most popular
Share of boys born in 2025:lowhighno data (< 5 births)
Strongest states: District of Columbia (#43), Vermont (#80), Wyoming (#89)
Uniqueness score
27/ 100Very common
everywhereone of a kind
A familiar pick that most people will recognize instantly. Based on how many babies per birth were named Peter in the most recent year of SSA data.